Everton have ‘two sleeping weapons’ according to former Toffee Louis Saha
Deadline day signings Donny van de Beek and Dele Alli have the ability to turn things around at Everton according to a former Goodison Park favourite.
24-year-old van de Beek came in on loan from Manchester United while Alli made the permanent switch to Merseyside from Tottenham Hotspur in the dying hours of the January window.
Louis Saha knows all about playing in the famous Blue of Everton and he is hoping that these two will kick on to a new level under Frank Lampard.
“Van de Beek has been respected with his talent, I think he has a big point to prove for himself, and everything that he has achieved before,” Saha said, as quoted by the Daily Mail.
“Dele Alli is the same, he was one of the biggest prospects in English football. It’s two sleeping weapons that they have and I really hope they do well.
“They’re great players and seem to be great lads as they haven’t been trying to disrupt anyone and have been very humble.”
Do they both fit?
If there is one thing Everton have lacked this season, it’s a creative outlet to make chances for their attacking talent, now they have two of them.
Alli is perhaps more of a finisher than a creator as an attacking midfielder but they are both similar players in essence.
So can they fit into the same team? It is tricky to find an excuse to say yes really because it would mean either one playing out wide or having an overly-expansive midfield.
Lampard opted to play a 3-4-3 system similar to what his former team Chelsea have done under Thomas Tuchel and they could feasibly fit in as the two attackers either side of the main striker.
They would have to sit more centrally than Demarai Gray and Anthony Gordon naturally would though if they’re to be effective.
You would struggle to fit them in as central midfielders either as that would expose the Toffees’ backline far too often.
Maybe they could fit into a 4-3-3 when the entire squad is free as the two midfielders pushing on but they would need a solid holding midfielder to prevent counter-attacks.
Lampard must have an idea at least otherwise it seems counter-intuitive to sign them both.
In other Everton news, Dominic King has shared what this Everton player told him after the FA Cup win against Brentford.